Wildlife Protection Units

The Wildlife Protection Units (WPUs), entirely funded by TOP, are responsible for patrolling the Bukit Tigapuluh (BTP) National Park and buffer zone, where over 150 Sumatran orangutans have been released.

The main aims of the WPUs are:

• ■ Establish, train and maintain ranger units to secure wildlife populations and their habitat at Bukit Tigapuluh.
• ■ To stop and prevent illegal logging as the major threat to wildlife habitat.
• ■ To actively assist the reintroduction/translocation of orangutans at Bukit Tigapuluh.
• ■ To collect wildlife data in order to produce baseline data for a buffer zone management plan and a wildlife data base as an evaluation tool for ecosystem conditions at Bukit Tigapuluh.

The WPU have been highly successful in deterring illegal activities within the National Park including logging. They are responsible for educating local people about laws against poaching orangutans, gathering information about illegal activities and reporting these to the Forestry police and collecting wildlife data as an evaluation tool for ecosystem conditions at BTP.

Local people are employed as members of the WPU, giving good employment opportunities to local people and increasing the profile of the Sumatran orangutan and its importance in the area. WPU members receive extensive training including first aid, wildlife crime investigation, survey techniques and report writing. To date, the WPUs have been highly successful in deterring illegal activities within the ecosystem.

Join Wild Education and make a difference by supporting the Wildlife Protection Units by making a small regular donation.

Project Leader: Dr Peter Pratje